Create my meal – the game

[sartoric]

Following some fantastic meals over on the "Create my meal - the challenge" thread (sorry, link dummy) here's the no rules, no timeframes, no pressure version.

 

Do you end up with a variety of ingredients in the fridge, freezer or pantry and wonder.....what can I make for dinner ?

Help is here !

 

Post a list of ten items, maybe a short paragraph about staples etc that you always have, perhaps cuisines you like.

 

Suggestions for the transformation of any/all of the listed ingredients into wonderful meals, will be made by generous and creative members. No one has to cook the meal, but if you do, please describe your meal, post photos, mention the suggester

 

Here's my example -

 

I currently have on hand:

Pork belly rashers

Chicken thigh cutlets / fillets

Black lip mussels 

Shin beef 

Eggplant / Zucchini 

Cauliflower 

Baby Spinach / Rocket 

Semi dried tomatoes / fresh tomatoes 

 

In the pantry are several types of rice, pasta, lentils and other grains, many spices, spice blends, canned goods, yada yada.

There's always onions, garlic, ginger, potatoes, bacon, frozen peas, flat breads and pastry.

The garden provides many fresh herbs. 

I like most cuisines. It's winter here in Oz so warming dishes are welcome.

 

What would you make for dinner ?

Suggestions please

 

Post your own list/paragraph/likes, see what suggestions you get and take appropriate action !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sartoric]

Ummm, there are no rules, only guidelines. 

If you can meet the time frames, that's great. If you can't, an indication of when you can is also great.

 

Its a good suggestion @Thanks for the Crepes, I've started another thread "Create my meal - No challenge". 

 

If anyone wants to continue here, would three days work for most ? 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 25, 2016 by sartoric (log)

[kayb]

I actually DID cook last night; a sort of a a hybrid ratatouille/gumbo with the leftover chicken. Good stuff, it was! 

 

Made a roux, salted it a little, peppered it a lot, added a Cajun spice mix I get from a great little Cajun market/restaurant down the road, Sauteed onions, garlic, pepper (relax, @rotuts, it wasn't bell pepper, which I do not keep in my house; it was a couple of banana peppers), but no celery (may the Cajun cooking gods forgive me). Cut up two small yellow squash, two small zucchini, two small eggplants, some okra,  added that into the roux/onions/garlic and let it saute a bit. Added chopped chicken (about half what I had in the fridge; remainder will go into a pasta tonight with alfredo sauce and veggies) and a pint of home-canned tomatoes, let it simmer for a bit. Tasted, added some red pepper flakes for some zing, and served it over brown rice.

 

A very good dinner, and one which made good use of leftover chicken!

 

WildYeast, why don't you jump in here and give us a list and let us create a meal for you?

 

 

Edited August 25, 2016 by kayb
close parentheses. (log)

[Wild_Yeast]

Alright here you go, 

 

-frozen chicken tenderloins

-enoki mushrooms

-red leaf lettuce

-kahlua pork leftovers

-cabbage

-carrot

-Fuji apples

-Mexican squash

-kimchi ( old and fresh )

-Corinth grapes

 

Spice selection is extensive from Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Persian and Arabic. Herb garden has Genovese Basil, Thai basil, Thyme, Marjoram, Oregano, Lemongrass, Lavender, Mint, Lemon Verbena, Ginger (they should be somewhat ready for harvest), Sage, Thai bird eye chili and cayenne peppers still available. Several types of soy sauce, fish sauce, Korean bean paste and several selections of vinegar and raw honey.

 

*I'm going to throw a curveball here . The last few months I've been eating pretty clean, no refined sugar, no soda, no wheat products ( trying to see if I'm sensitive to gluten ) and no rice. So far I've lost 30 lbs. but I'm still over my weight limit. I think I'll continue with this type of lifestyle for a white longer till I reach my goal. With that said I can't wait to see what you guys can create with my ingredients. Let the hunger games begin... And may the odds be ever in your favor!!! 

[Wild_Yeast]

Aww man I just posted my list on the other thread... Should we just combine the two threads?

[Okanagancook]

I think we should just go with this concept.  I have not been participating because I don't want to HAVE to cook on a certain day.  So, I think this is the thread to continue.

Wild_Yeast, just repost your list here and away we go!

[Anna N]

5 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:

I think we should just go with this concept.  I have not been participating because I don't want to HAVE to cook on a certain day.  So, I think this is the thread to continue.

Wild_Yeast, just repost your list here and away we go!

Yep. We're cats. Stop trying to herd us. 

[Wild_Yeast]

Alright here you go, 

 

-frozen chicken tenderloins

-enoki mushrooms

-red leaf lettuce

-kahlua pork leftovers

-cabbage

-carrot

-Fuji apples

-Mexican squash

-kimchi ( old and fresh )

-Corinth grapes

 

Spice selection is extensive from Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Persian and Arabic. Herb garden has Genovese Basil, Thai basil, Thyme, Marjoram, Oregano, Lemongrass, Lavender, Mint, Lemon Verbena, Ginger (they should be somewhat ready for harvest), Sage, Thai bird eye chili and cayenne peppers still available. Several types of soy sauce, fish sauce, Korean bean paste and several selections of vinegar and raw honey.

 

*I'm going to throw a curveball here . The last few months I've been eating pretty clean, no refined sugar, no soda, no wheat products ( trying to see if I'm sensitive to gluten ) and no rice. So far I've lost 30 lbs. but I'm still over my weight limit. I think I'll continue with this type of lifestyle for a while longer till I reach my goal. With that said I can't wait to see what you guys can create with my ingredients. Let the hunger games begin... And may the odds be ever in your favor!!! 

Edited August 25, 2016 by Wild_Yeast (log)

[kayb]

6 hours ago, Wild_Yeast said:

Aww man I just posted my list on the other thread... Should we just combine the two threads?

Yes. If some helpful host would do that...

[kayb]

2 hours ago, Wild_Yeast said:

Alright here you go, 

 

-frozen chicken tenderloins

-enoki mushrooms

-red leaf lettuce

-kahlua pork leftovers

-cabbage

-carrot

-Fuji apples

-Mexican squash

-kimchi ( old and fresh )

-Corinth grapes

 

Spice selection is extensive from Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Persian and Arabic. Herb garden has Genovese Basil, Thai basil, Thyme, Marjoram, Oregano, Lemongrass, Lavender, Mint, Lemon Verbena, Ginger (they should be somewhat ready for harvest), Sage, Thai bird eye chili and cayenne peppers still available. Several types of soy sauce, fish sauce, Korean bean paste and several selections of vinegar and raw honey.

 

*I'm going to throw a curveball here . The last few months I've been eating pretty clean, no refined sugar, no soda, no wheat products ( trying to see if I'm sensitive to gluten ) and no rice. So far I've lost 30 lbs. but I'm still over my weight limit. I think I'll continue with this type of lifestyle for a while longer till I reach my goal. With that said I can't wait to see what you guys can create with my ingredients. Let the hunger games begin... And may the odds be ever in your favor!!! 

 

 

OK. This is off the wall, but what the heck, that's what this is about, right?

 

How about if you roasted or poached the chicken breasts minced them fine, along with the pork, and briefly stir-fried them with some enoki mushrooms and Asian spices, and made lettuce wraps (with a garnish of kimchi). Slaw of cabbage, carrot and Fuji apples, in a ginger-sesame dressing. Grapes for dessert, unless you can figure out how to work them into the wraps or the slaw.

[Okanagancook]

Yes, I was thinking about lettuce wraps too but combining the two meats is a wonderful idea

[sartoric]

17 hours ago, sartoric said:

Following some fantastic meals over on the "Create my meal - the challenge" thread (sorry, link dummy) here's the no rules, no timeframes, no pressure version.

 

Do you end up with a variety of ingredients in the fridge, freezer or pantry and wonder.....what can I make for dinner ?

Help is here !

 

Post a list of ten items, maybe a short paragraph about staples etc that you always have, perhaps cuisines you like.

 

Suggestions for the transformation of any/all of the listed ingredients into wonderful meals, will be made by generous and creative members. No one has to cook the meal, but if you do, please describe your meal, post photos, mention the suggester

 

Here's my example -

 

I currently have on hand:

Pork belly rashers

Chicken thigh cutlets / fillets

Black lip mussels 

Shin beef 

Eggplant / Zucchini 

Cauliflower 

Baby Spinach / Rocket 

Semi dried tomatoes / fresh tomatoes 

 

In the pantry are several types of rice, pasta, lentils and other grains, many spices, spice blends, canned goods, yada yada.

There's always onions, garlic, ginger, potatoes, bacon, frozen peas, flat breads and pastry.

The garden provides many fresh herbs. 

I like most cuisines. It's winter here in Oz so warming dishes are welcome.

 

What would you make for dinner ?

Suggestions please

 

Post your own list/paragraph/likes, see what suggestions you get and take appropriate action !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Umm, my list wasn't just an example, I have these things waiting....any ideas ?

[Okanagancook]

I wondered.  So I was just reading a recipe where one stuffs chicken legs and wrap in bacon then grill  on a wood plank.  Do you have the planks in Australia?

Maybe stuff the chicken thighs with a mix of sautéed grated zucchini , spinach, sun dried tomatoes and probably some cheese like mozzarella.  Then wrap in the bacon and grill on the plank.  If no plank, then indirect heat on the bbq.

 

cheese sauce and the cauliflower, only way to eat it save for roasting but you are already BBQ isn't so too much dry heat foods.

 

Something green to go with if you have that.

 

saving the mussels for another day.

[suzilightning]

Do you have any rice noodles? (Sorry - just re-read your post) Johnnybird seems to have developed a gluten intolerance and they have been a life saver for me.

If you do he likes a cold noodle dish with some sautéed chicken and lightly cooked carrots, cabbage and mushrooms.  I make a sauce with some vegetable broth, soy sauce, honey, grated ginger and a gluten free hoisin sauce I found.  If you like spice you could add some of those Thai bird chilis when cooking the veg and some kimchi to the sauce.

 

Another way would be to head to the Mediterranean with the sautéed chicken and a pesto, nice salad with the lettuce and mushrooms.

 

For dessert I want a fresh dessert with some of those grapes, apples and shredded carrot with a dressing of vinegar(white balsamic if you have it), honey and a touch of water with infused lemongrass.  You might add some of the lavender or mint but I don't care for them.

[Lisa Shock]

If you have wine and mushrooms, You could make coq au vin with the chicken, pork and tomatoes.

 

Or, another French meal:

mussels as a starter

ratatouille

spinach salad with bacon dressing (maybe a little raw cauliflower for crunch)

[Wild_Yeast]

We don't have to use ALL the ingredients right?

 

@sartoric I would use the shin beef and spinach to make Khoresht e Esfenaj/Persian spinach stew with beef, turmeric powder, potatoes and lemon juice. The shin would be amazing when it's simmered long and low, the tendons in the stew would just melt into the sauce making it rich without adding thickeners or butter to emulsify the resulting gravy. Serve with plain buttered rice or flatbreads.

 

Day 2 the chicken cutlets, zucchini, eggplant cauliflower and tomatoes can be made into Thai curry if you have Thai basil in your garden OR into Indian Korma if you don't have Thai basil. Serve with plain rice  or flatbreads

 

then for day 3, mussels in white wine. But I'd crisp up some bacon, use the bacon grease to sweat the shallots and leeks. And finish the sauce with butter and parsley and top with crumbled bacon. Crusty bread a must lol 

 

 

 

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

On 8/25/2016 at 11:26 PM, sartoric said:

Black lip mussels 

 

Are these frozen? Live mussels, like I can sometimes get here are quite perishable. Also I have never heard of common black-shelled mussels like we get referred to that way. They have orange flesh here. I used to be able to order green-lipped mussels, sourced from New Zealand at a chain Italian place here called Romano's Macaroni grill. I had never seen them before, but I came to really love them before they were discontinued, probably due to cost. They are really a lot better than ours that we can get here. Their flesh is more gray, like clams, we get here, not as livery as our mussels are, and just plain tastier, IMO. Come to find out from the link above, they have health benefits too.

 

Perhaps it would be helpful if participants would mention whether proteins were more perishable or frozen? I know when I cooked the fresh protein got preference.

 

If your mussels are fresh and haven't already been cooked, I would cook them tomorrow with a little white wine, crushed garlic and parsley, olive oil (duh!) and serve them over fine pasta. Crushed red pepper would not go astray with me, but this varies with heat tolerance.

 

I would also make some fried or broiled or grilled zucchini and/or eggplant. You could make this Parmagiana style with some of your dried and fresh tomatoes and some cheese.

 

Baby spinach and rocket salad.

 

 

Edited August 29, 2016 by Thanks for the Crepes
to add olive oil to mussels in wine sauce (log)

[sartoric]

The mussels are black lip (Mytilus galloprovincialis) in juice, a product of South Australian waters. They're cleaned, blanched, cryovacced and stay in the fridge, (ready to eat or heat after a rinse). Although I have bought and cooked live mussels many times, I like to avoid the effort in cleaning etc.  The shelf life runs to January 2017 but they won't last that long, These have been fantastic tasting, no baddies, plump, succulent, and cost about the same per kilo as fresh. 

I feel a bit bad about the food miles and packaging, but then my inner evil convenient self takes over

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, sartoric said:

The mussels are black lip (Mytilus galloprovincialis) in juice, a product of South Australian waters. They're cleaned, blanched, cryovacced and stay in the fridge, (ready to eat or heat after a rinse). Although I have bought and cooked live mussels many times, I like to avoid the effort in cleaning etc.  The shelf life runs to January 2017 but they won't last that long, These have been fantastic tasting, no baddies, plump, succulent, and cost about the same per kilo as fresh. 

I feel a bit bad about the food miles and packaging, but then my inner evil convenient self takes over

Wow!  That is an amazing shelf life. Wish we had something similar here. We do have MAP (modified atmoshere packaging) but shelf life is much, much shorter. 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Made a new post instead of an edit to this existing one to say I forgot you need a little olive oil too, if you are going to cook mussels in white wine. It is critical, so I did not want someone who might be interested in cooking mussels like that to miss it.

 

By cleaned, I'm guessing you mean out of their shells? I have never cooked any that way, only live in the shells.

 

While I was thinking about this subject, it suddenly occurred to me that I think I saw frozen, in-shell green lips one time in the fish monger's freezer case. That would probably be what the restaurant was serving. I may have to investigate further. 

[ProfessionalHobbit]

I prefer no rules anyway.

 

 

On 8/25/2016 at 1:47 PM, Wild_Yeast said:

Alright here you go, 

 

-frozen chicken tenderloins

-enoki mushrooms

-red leaf lettuce

-kahlua pork leftovers

-cabbage

-carrot

-Fuji apples

-Mexican squash

-kimchi ( old and fresh )

-Corinth grapes

 

Spice selection is extensive from Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Persian and Arabic. Herb garden has Genovese Basil, Thai basil, Thyme, Marjoram, Oregano, Lemongrass, Lavender, Mint, Lemon Verbena, Ginger (they should be somewhat ready for harvest), Sage, Thai bird eye chili and cayenne peppers still available. Several types of soy sauce, fish sauce, Korean bean paste and several selections of vinegar and raw honey.

 

*I'm going to throw a curveball here . The last few months I've been eating pretty clean, no refined sugar, no soda, no wheat products ( trying to see if I'm sensitive to gluten ) and no rice. So far I've lost 30 lbs. but I'm still over my weight limit. I think I'll continue with this type of lifestyle for a while longer till I reach my goal. With that said I can't wait to see what you guys can create with my ingredients. Let the hunger games begin... And may the odds be ever in your favor!!! 

 

 

Roasted grapes (toss with olive oil, salt and black pepper; roast at 350 F for 45 minutes)

Potage crécy

Broiled chicken, Fuji apple salsa (diced apples, shallot, ginger, salt, chile pepper)

 

The potage has 1 tablespoon uncooked rice which is not significant for your purposes, but I suppose you could omit that and sub diced potato although the texture will be different.

[ProfessionalHobbit]

On 8/25/2016 at 3:21 AM, sartoric said:

 

Here's my example -

 

I currently have on hand:

Pork belly rashers

Chicken thigh cutlets / fillets

Black lip mussels 

Shin beef 

Eggplant / Zucchini 

Cauliflower 

Baby Spinach / Rocket 

Semi dried tomatoes / fresh tomatoes 

 

 

Did you want multiple meals or one meal?

 

I typically cook multi-course dinners so that's my default mode.  But if you need more than one meal's ideas, I'll see what I can do.

 

Salad of spinach or rocket with a simple vinaigrette to start;

Braise the chicken with cut up onion, wine and stock

Slow-roast the tomatoes (slice, then season with salt and black pepper, and olive oil, and roast at 250 F for 4-5 hours; can be made in advance), and combine with roasted cauliflower for a vegetable side

 

 

[Wild_Yeast]

18 hours ago, ProfessionalHobbit said:

I prefer no rules anyway.

 

 

 

Roasted grapes (toss with olive oil, salt and black pepper; roast at 350 F for 45 minutes)

Potage crécy

Broiled chicken, Fuji apple salsa (diced apples, shallot, ginger, salt, chile pepper)

 

The potage has 1 tablespoon uncooked rice which is not significant for your purposes, but I suppose you could omit that and sub diced potato although the texture will be different.

Thanks Hobbit! That Potage Crécy looks so simple but delicious. I might give that a go one of these days.

[Bhukhhad]

What has happened here? Wild_Yeast, did you finish your cooking day? Sorry I have been out of the loop a bit. 

Bhukhhad

[sartoric]

Apologies to the hosting team for enabling some off topic discussion.

Maybe I'm doing exactly that again, but......

What would you do with leftover roast chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and a big bag of baby spinach ?

Assume I've got everything imaginable in my pantry. 

 

Hit me quick.